Venus and Adonis and the Rape of Lucrece: An Annotated Edition of the Shakespeare Poems

© 2019 Donald Richardson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  02/15/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0051-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0052-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0050-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019901815

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Other Books by Donald J. Richardson

                    Dust in the Wind, 2001

                    Rails to Light, 2005

                    Song of Fools, 2006

                    Words of Truth, 2007

                    The Meditation of My Heart, 2008

                    The Days of Darkness, 2009

                    The Dying of the Light, 2010

                    Between the Darkness and the Light, 2011

                    The Days of Thy Youth, 2012

                    Those Who Sit in Darkness¸ 2013

                    Just a Song at Twilight, 2014

                    Covered with Darkness, 2015

                    Behold the Sun, 2016

                    Approaching Alzheimer’s, 2017

                    Baxter’s Family, 2018

                    Unto the High Places, 2018

                    The Complete Hamlet, (Revised) 2017

                    The Complete Macbeth, 2013

                    The Complete Romeo and Juliet, 2013

                    The Complete King Lear, 2013

                    The Complete Julius Caesar, 2013

                    The Complete Merchant of Venice, 2013

                    The Complete Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2013

                    The Complete Much Ado About Nothing, 2013

                    The Complete Twelfth Night, 2014

                    The Complete Taming of the Shrew, 2014

                    The Complete Tempest, 2014

                    The Complete Othello, 2014

                    The Complete Henry IV, Part One, 2014

                    The Complete Antony and Cleopatra, 2014

                    The Complete Comedy of Errors, 2014

                    The Complete Henry IV, Part Two, 2014

                    The Complete Henry V, 2014

                    The Tragedy of Richard the Third, 2015

                    The Complete Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2015

                    The Complete Richard the Second, 2015

                    The Complete Coriolanus, 2015

                    The Complete As You Like It, 2015

                    The Complete All’s Well That Ends Well, 2015

                    The Complete Love’s Labor’s Lost, 2015

                    The Complete Measure for Measure, 2015

                    The Complete Winter’s Tale, 2015

                    The Complete Henry VIII, 2016

                    The Complete Troilus and Cressida, 2016

                    The Complete King John, 2016

                    The Complete Cymbaline, 2016

                    The Complete Titus Andronicus, 2016

                    The Complete Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 2016

                    The Complete Timon of Athens, 2017

                    The Complete Merry Wives of Windsor, 2017

                    The Complete First Part of Henry VI, 2017

                    The Complete Second Part of Henry VI, 2017

                    The Complete Third Part of Henry VI, 2018

                    The Complete Two Noble Gentlemen, 2018

                    The CompleteReign of King Edward III, 2018

CONTENTS

Venus And Adonis

Works Cited

The Rape Of Lucrece

Works Cited

ABOUT THE BOOK

Neither Venus and Adonis nor The Rape of Lucrece is widely read. Both poems were quite popular during Shakespeare’s time, however, and each gives promise of future development of the playwright’s later skills. Still, as the Riverside Shakespeare says, "Venus and Adonis … is an Ovidian poem that does not fully succeed." (1,798). One might assert this about The Rape of Lucrece also. Still the Shakespeare scholar can profit from the poetic approach in both.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Although he has long been eligible to retire, Donald J. Richardson continues to (try to) teach English Composition at Phoenix College in Arizona. He defines his life through his teaching, his singing, his volunteering, and his grandchildren.

VENUS AND ADONIS

"Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo Motto: "These lines which appear on the title-page, are from Ovid’s Amores, I. xv. 35-36. Marlowe’s translation runs: ‘Let base-conceited wits admire vile things, / Fair Phoebus lead me to the Muses’ springs.’" (Riverside, 1,799)

Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua."

TO THE                                         To the: See Asimov (3-5) for analysis of the dedication.

RIGHT HONORABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLY, Henry Wriothesly: third Earl of Southampton, 1573-1624, a favorite at the court of Elizabeth until imprisoned, 1601-03, for complicity in the Essex Rebellion (Harbage, 1,406)

EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARON OF TICHFIELD.

RIGHT HONORABLE,

I KNOW not how I shall offend in dedicating my

unpolished lines to your lordship, nor how the world

will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support Censure: judge (Riverside, 1,799)

so weak a burden only, if your honor seem but pleased,

I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage

of all idle hours, till I have honored you with some graver

labour [sic]. But if the first heir of my invention prove First … invention: i.e. first work of literary pretensions (since a number of plays had already been written) (Harbage, 1,406)

deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a god-father,

and never after eare so barren a land, for fear it yield me Eare: cultivate (Riverside, 1,799)

still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honorable survey,

and your honor to your heart’s content; which I wish

may always answer your own wish and the world’s

hopeful expectation.

Your honor’s in all duty,

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

1 EVEN as the sun with purple-color’d face Even as: at the same moment as; in the same way as (Duncan-Jones, 131); purple-color’d: i.e. crimson (‘purple’ being used for a considerable range of colors) (Harbage, 1,406)

2 Had ta’en his last leave of the weeping morn, Last Leave: final farewell (Duncan-Jones, 131); the weeping morn: i.e. the goddess of the dawn, weeping because the sun-god has left her bed (Riverside, 1,799)

3 Rose-cheek’d Adonis hied him to the chase; Hied him: hastened (Riverside, 1,799)

4 Hunting he loved, but love he laugh’d to scorn; He … scorn: The phrase is familiar from Psalms, 22.7, ‘All they that see me laugh me to scorn.’ (Duncan-Jones,131)

5 Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him, Sick-thoughted: lovesick; makes amain hastens (Riverside, 1,799)

6 And like a bold-faced suitor ’gins to woo him. Bold-faced: self-confident, perhaps rather impudent; suitor: petitioner; someone who seeks something, esp. from a social superior; a man who seeks a woman in marriage; "’gins: begins" (Duncan-Jones, 132)

7 Thrice-fairer than myself, thus she began,

8 "The field’s chief flower, sweet above compare, Flower: The metaphor of his being the best among young men anticipates Adonis’ fate.; compare: comparison (Duncan-Jones, 132)

9 Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man, Stain … nymphs: one who eclipses the nymphs in beauty (Riverside, 1,799); man: "Mortimer (Variable Passions, 41) points out that the word allows Adonis to be lovelier than a mere mortal, an adult male or the male sex in general" (Duncan-Jones, 132)

10 More white and red than doves or roses are;

11 Nature that made thee, with herself at strife, Made … strife: strove to surpass herself in creating you (Riverside, 1,799)

12 Saith that the world hath ending with thy life.

13 "Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed, Vouchsafe: be so kind as, deign (Duncan-Jones, 133)

14 And rein his proud head to the saddle-bow; Rein: i.e. to tie the horse’s reins to the front part of the saddle so that the horse is curbed and cannot stray: the technique is one of enforced self-restraint; saddle-bow: the arched, or bow-shaped, front part of a saddle (Duncan-Jones, 133)

15 If thou wilt deign this favor, for thy meed Meed: reward (Riverside, 1,799)

16 A thousand honey secrets shalt thou know: Honey: sweet (Riverside, 1,799); secrets: "The combination of secrets and serpent suggests to Cam that Venus is figured as a temptress, taking on the serpent’s role in Eden; but the serpent may have sexual associations, in which case its absence may be designed to make Here, Venus’ lap (rather than the ground), more attractive to Adonis." (Duncan-Jones, 133)

17 Here come and sit, where never serpent hisses,

18 And being set, I’ll smother thee with kisses; Set: seated; smother: The choice of word suggests an element of (possibly, as the rhyme might suggest, maternal) suffocation (Duncan-Jones, 133)

19 "And yet not cloy thy lips with loathed saciety, Saciety: satiety (Riverside, 1,799)

20 But rather famish them amid their plenty,

21 Making them red and pale with fresh variety, Red and pale: ‘Adonis’ lips will be alternately stung to redness by the ten kisses short as one, and drained of their colour [sic] by the ‘one long as twenty’ (Ard) (Duncan-Jones, 133)

22 Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty:

23 A summer’s day will seem an hour but short, An … short: as short as an hour (Duncan-Jones, 134)

24 Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport." Wasted: spent (Riverside, 1,799); time-beguiling sport: "The playful sexual activity (sport) will so charm or deceive time that it will pass in no time at all." (Duncan-Jones, 134)

25 With this she seizeth on his sweating palm, Sweating palm: A moist hand supposedly indicated sometimes (as here) youth, sometimes (as in line 143 but certainly not here) an amorous disposition. (Riverside, 1,799)

26 The president of pith and livelihood, President: precedent, i.e. evidence, sign; pith and livelihood: energy and vitality (Riverside, 1,799)

27 And trembling in her passion, calls it balm,

28 Earth’s sovereign salve to do a goddess good: Sovereign: most potent (Riverside, 1,799)

29 Being so enrag’d, desire doth lend her force Enrag’d: mad with desire (Riverside, 1,799); aroused (Harbage, 1,406)

30 Courageously to pluck him from his horse. Courageously: lustfully; pluck: pull, drag (Riverside, 1,799)

31 Over one arm the lusty courser’s rein, Lusty courser’s: "The horse is swift, powerful and also sexually vigorous… . The horse is later called a palfrey." (Duncan-Jones, 135)

32 Under her other was the tender boy, Tender: Adonis is soft and delicate … a mere youth … and the object of her tender love; boy: The word is used both by Venus when addressing Adonis … and by the narrator to refer to him… . (Duncan-Jones, 135)

33 Who blush’d and pouted in a dull disdain,

34 With leaden appetite, unapt to toy; Leaden appetite: "inert disposition, sluggish inclination … he shows an unwilling attitude. Here appetite refers to sexual appetite" (Duncan-Jones, 135); unapt to toy: not ready to dally amorously (Riverside, 1,799)

35 She red and hot as coals of glowing fire, As red: Cf. the proverbial ‘As red as coals’ (Dent, C462.1), but here suggesting her sexual excitement: the play with colours [sic] looks back to 10 (see n.) (Duncan-Jones, 135)

36 He red for shame, but frosty in desire. Red: His redness is a sign of embarrassment and anger at the humiliation of being propositioned by Venus (Duncan-Jones, 135)

37 The studded bridle on a ragged bough

38 Nimbly she fastens:—O, how quick is love!—

39 The steed is stalled up, and even now Stalled: tied (as in a stall) (Riverside, 1,800)

40 To tie the rider she begins to prove: Prove: try (Riverside, 1,800)

41 Backward she push’d him, as she would be thrust, Would be: wished to be (Duncan-Jones, 136)

42 And govern’d him in strength, though not in lust. Lust: will or desire (Duncan-Jones,136)

43 So soon was she along as he was down, Along: lying beside him (Riverside, 1,800)

44 Each leaning on their elbows and their hips:

45 Now doth she stroke his cheek, now doth he frown,

46 And gins to chide, but soon she stops his lips; Gins: begins; stops: fills up, stops up (Duncan-Jones, 136)

47 And kissing speaks, with lustful language broken, With … broken: Her kissing interrupts her speech and at the same time her speech interrupts her kissing. (Duncan-Jones, 136)

48 If thou wilt chide, thy lips shall never open. Thy … open: i.e. she will not allow his lips to open (Duncan-Jones, 137)

49 He burns with bashful shame: she with her tears

50 Doth quench the maiden burning of his cheeks; Maiden burning: The phrase makes Adonis’ cheeks burn like a maiden’s, but also suggests that they have never burned in this way before and that they are so hot they would burn a maiden. (Duncan-Jones, 137)

51 Then with her windy sighs and golden hairs

52 To fan and blow them dry again she seeks:

53 He saith she is immodest, blames her miss; Miss: fault (Riverside, 1,800); misbehavior (Harbage, 1,407)

54 What follows more she murders with a kiss. Murders: i.e. silences by smothering (Duncan-Jones, 137)

55 Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, Sharp by fast: hungry from fasting (Riverside, 1,800)

56 Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh and bone, Tires … on: tears ravenously … at (Riverside, 1,800)

57 Shaking her wings, devouring all in haste,

58 Till either gorge be stuff’d or prey be gone; Gorge: stomach (Riverside, 1,800)

59 Even so she kissed his brow, his cheek, his chin,

60 And where she ends she doth anew begin.

61 Forc’d to content, but never to obey, Content: content himself; submit; obey: i.e. respond as she wishes (Riverside, 1,800)

62 Panting he lies and breatheth in her face;

63 She feedeth on the steam as on a prey, Steam: hot breath (Duncan-Jones, 138)

64 And calls it heavenly moisture, air of grace;

65 Wishing her cheeks were gardens full of flowers,

66 So they were dew’d with such distilling showers. So: provided that; distilling: gently dropping (Riverside, 1,800)

67 Look how a bird lies tangled in a net, Look how: just as (Riverside, 1,800)

68 So fasten’d in her arms Adonis lies;

69 Pure shame and aw’d resistance made him fret, Pure shame: nothing but shame; shame that is pure and innocent (Duncan-Jones, 138); aw’d: daunted (Riverside, 1,800); overborne (Harbage, 1,407)

70 Which bred more beauty in his angry eyes:

71 Rain added to a river that is rank Rank: brim-full (Riverside, 1,800)

72 Perforce will force it overflow the bank.

73 Still she entreats, and prettily entreats, Still: always, constantly, continually (Duncan-Jones, 139)

74 For to